Before departing from Earth, Ashton had requested the lich of the Eastern Palace to find a way to cure 'corpsification' disease. Since Ashton owned the Eastern Palace, the lich couldn't disobey him.
However, Ashton hadn't seen him since returning. The look on Avalina's face told Ashton all he needed to know.
"So he's missing," Ashton mumbled, "Why am I not surprised?"
"The last we heard, he was working around Contingency, gathering samples to test the fruits of his 'labour'." Avalina responded, "But then the undead population grew explosively, and we lost all contact."
"What about Nirvana? Heard from the undead authorities there?"
"Let me read their reply straight from the mail," Avalina cleared her throat, "The Attack on Contingency was an act of terrorism, and we strongly condemn it. Our best wishes are with you and your people. May Thanatos's blessing shine brightly upon you."